Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
At-tāin'ment, n. p. 89The act of attaining; the act of arriving at or reaching; hence, the act of obtaining by efforts. “The attainment of every desired object.” Sir W. Jones. 2. That which is attained to, or obtained by…At-tāint', v. t. p. 89To stain; to obscure; hence, to disgrace; to cloud with infamy. “Lest she with blame her honor should attaint.” Spenser. For so exceeding shone his glistening ray, That Phœbus’ golden face it did…At-tāint', n. p. 89A stain, spot, or taint. See TAINT. Shak. 2. (Law.) A writ which lies after judgment, to inquire whether a jury has given a false verdict in any court of record. Bouvier. 3. (Far.) A blow or wound on…At-tāint'ment, n. p. 89State of being attainted. Ashmole.At-tāint'ŭre, n. p. 89State of being attainted; attaintment. Speed.At'tal, n. p. 89Same as ATTLE.At-tăm'/i-nāte, v. t. p. 89To corrupt; to defile; to contaminate. [Obs.] Blount.Ăt'tar, n. p. 89A volatile and highly fragrant essential oil, obtained from the petals of roses. [More commonly called otto.]At-tāsk', v. t. p. 89To task; to tax. [Obs.] Shak.At-tāste’, v. t. p. 89To taste or cause to taste. [Obs.] Chaucer.At-tĕm’per, v. t. p. 89To reduce, modify, or moderate, by mixture, as, to attemper heat by a cooling mixture, or spirit by diluting it with water. 2. To soften, mollify, or moderate; as, to attemper rigid justice with…At-tēm'per-ance, n. p. 90Temperance. [Obs.] Chaucer.At-tēm'per-ate, a. p. 90Tempered; proportioned; suited; adapted. Hope must be proportioned and attemperate to the promise. Hammond.At-tĕm'per-āte, v. t. p. 90To attemper; to proportion; to regulate. [Obs.] Barrow.At-tĕm'per-ly, adv. p. 90Temperately. [Obs.] Chaucer.At-tĕm'per-ment, n. p. 90A tempering, or mixing in due proportion.At-tĕmpt', v. t. p. 90To make trial or experiment of; to try; to endeavor; to assay; as, to attempt to sing; to attempt a bold flight. It may with mine Draw their own ruin who attempt the deed. Milton. 2. To attack; to…At-tēmpt', v. i. p. 90To make an effort or endeavor, or an attack. I have been so hardy to attempt upon a name. Glanville.At-tĕmpt′, n. p. 90An essay, trial, or endeavor; an attack; or an effort to gain a point. By his blindness maimed for high attempts. Milton. Syn.—ATTEMPT, ENDEAVOR, EFFORT, EXERTION, TRIAL. These words agree in the…At-tĕmpt'a-ble, a. p. 90Capable of being attempted, tried, or attacked; liable to an attempt or attack. Shak.At-tēmpt'er, n. p. 90One who attempts.At-tĕmpt'ive, a. p. 90Disposed or ready to attempt; enterprising; adventurous. [Obs.] Attemptive, able, worthy, generous. Daniel.At-tēnd', v. t. p. 90To direct the attention to; to fix the mind upon; to give heed to; to regard; to consider. [Obs.] The diligent pilot in a dangerous tempest doth not attend the unskillful words of the passenger.…At-tēnd', v. i. p. 90To apply the mind, or pay attention, with a view to perceive, understand, or comply; to pay regard; to heed;—usually followed by to. Attend to the voice of my supplications. Ps. lxxxvi. 6. Man can…At-tĕnd’ance, n. p. 90The act of attending or being in waiting; service; ministry. “I dance attendance here.” Shak. 2. The persons attending; a train; a retinue. If your stray attendance be yet lodged. Milton. 3.…Hooker. p. 90At-tĕnd'an-cy, n. p. 90Attendance. [Obs.] Fuller.At-tĕnd’ant, a. p. 90Being present, or in the train. “Attendant on their Lord.” Milton. 2. Accompanying, connected with, or immediately following, as consequential; as, intemperance with all its attendant evils. The…At-tĕnd'ant, n. p. 90One who attends or accompanies in any character whatever, as a friend, companion, servant, agent, or suitor. “A train of attendants.” Hallam. 2. One who is present; as, an attendant at or upon a…At-tĕnd'er, n. p. 90One who attends; a companion; an associate. [Rare.]At-tĕnd'ment, n. p. 90An attendant circumstance. [Obs.] “The ... attendments of hell.” Browne. 2. Intention. [Obs.] Spenser.At-tĕnt', a. p. 90Attentive; heedful. [Obs.] “Let thine ears be attent.” 2 Chron. vi. 40.At-tĕnt', n. p. 90Attention; heed. [Obs.] “With . . . due attent.” Spenser.At-tĕn′/tates or At-tĕn′/tats, n. pl. p. 90(Law.) (a.) Proceedings in a court of judicature, after an inhibition is decreed. (b.) Things wrongly innovated or attempted in a suit by an inferior judge.At-tĕn’tion, n. p. 90The act of attending or heeding; the energetic application of the mind to any object, whether sensible or spiritual; exclusive or special consideration; earnest consideration, thought, or regard…At-tĕnt'ive, a. p. 90Heedful; intent; observant; regarding with care. It is applied to the senses of hearing and seeing, as, an attentive ear or eye; to the application of the mind, as in contemplation; or to the…At-tĕnt'ive-ly, adv. p. 90In an attentive manner; with fixed attention; heedfully; carefully. Attentively he heard us while we spoke. Dryden.At-tĕnt'ive-ness, n. p. 90The state of being attentive; heedfulness; attention.At-tĕnt'ly, adv. p. 90Attentively. [Obs.] Barrow.At-tĕn'ū-ant, a. p. 90Making thin, as fluids; diluting; rendering less dense and viscid; as, an attenuant medicine.At-tĕn'ū-ant, n. p. 90(Med.) A medicine that thins or dilutes the fluids; a diluent. Dunglison.At-tĕn’ū-āte, v. t. p. 90To make thin, or less consistent; to render less viscid; specifically, to subtilize, as the humors of the body, or to break them into finer parts. 2. To break or wear into finer or very minute parts…At-tēn'ū-āte, v. i. p. 90To become thin, slender, or fine; to grow less; to lessen. The attention attenuates as its sphere contracts. Coleridge.At-tĕn'ū-ate or At-tĕn'ū-ā'ted, a. p. 90Made thin, or less viscid; made slender. Bacon.At-tĕn/ū-ā'tion, n. p. 90The act of attenuating, or making thin, as fluids; as, the attenuation of the humors. 2. The act of making fine by comminution or attrition; pulverization. The action of the air facilitates the…At'ter, n. p. 90Poison; corrupt matter from sores. [Obs.] Holland.At'ter-āte or At'ter-rāte, v. t. p. 90To wear away, as earth by the action of water. Hence, 2. To form by the wearing and transporting action of water.At'ter-ā'tion or At'ter-rā'tion, n. p. 90The operation of forming land by the action of the sea in wearing away the earth in one place and depositing it in another. [Obs.] Ray.At-tĕst',, v. t. p. 90To bear witness to; to certify; to affirm to be true or genuine; as, to attest the truth of a writing; to attest a copy of record. Facts . . . attested by particular pagan authors. Addison. 2. To…At-tĕst’, n. p. 90Witness; testimony; attestation. [Rare.] “The attest of eyes and ears.” Shak.At'tes-tā'tion, n. p. 90Testimony; witness; a solemn or official declaration, verbal or written, in support of a fact; evidence. The truth appears from the attestation of witnesses, or of the proper officer. The…At-tĕst'ĕr, n. p. 90One who attests; an attestor.At-tĕst'ive, a. p. 90Attesting; furnishing evidence. [R.]At-tēst'or, n. p. 90One who attests.Ăt'tic, a. p. 90Pertaining to Attica, in Greece, or to its principal city, Athens; marked by such qualities as were characteristic of the Athenians. Thus, Attic wit, Attic salt, a poignant, delicate wit, peculiar to…At'tic, n. p. 90(Arch.) (a.) A story in the upper part of a house, with small windows either in or above the cornice; also, frequently applied to the garret. (b.) A low order, commonly used over a principal order…At'tic-al, a. p. 90Pertaining to Athens; pure; classical; refined; Attic. [Obs.] Hammond.Ăt'ti-cĭsm, n. p. 90The peculiar style and idiom of the Greek language, used by the Athenians; refined and elegant Greek; concise and elegant expression. 2. A particular attachment to the Athenians.Ăt'ti-cīze, v. t. p. 90To conform or make conformable to the language or idiom of Attica; as, adjectives in ως, when Atticized, become ως.Ăt'ti-cīze, v. i. p. 90To use Atticisms, or the idiom of the Athenians. 2. To side with the Athenians, or to subserve the interests of Athens. Smith's Thucydides.